Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-12

on small scale and is 50 remote from the
rivers that it does them no harm. We
have not and will not resist Only author
lied officers in the discharge of their du-
ties, but spies we detest, and it is a
dangerous quarter for them, for we are but
human. Spies come in for personal
profit, stir up strife, put our people to
great expense in defending suits, and they
misrepresent facts to the people of the val
ley and to the Courts. Bassett and higgins
lie. Finally, neither Captain Paysom nor
the officials Of the United States Courts
have authority to send deputies to spy
upon miners. Their alleged deputies bore
letters of direction and authority purport-
ing to be written by Captain Payson, but
We have no means of knowing that the
letters are authentic And if they are
neither Captain Payson, nor any one else
can depute the men as claimed, for they
did not come to serve the process of any
Court they were not discharging any
official duty"
Whoever has examined this defense
closely will observe that it is technical. II
amounts to this pursue us for violating
the Law if you please, but you shall moi
view the ground to ascertain if the charge
that we are 'defying the Courts is true OF
not" Obviously such defense amounts
to denial of any pursuit whatever If il
is true that the hydraulic miners of Plu-
mas are not violating the law, as they al
| lege, then they have nothing to fear
from inquiry or the presence of an army
of officials. But if they deny the right
to inquire, they close the door to any pur-
suit of offenders. 1t is not possible to Is
sue process against an offender until it is
known that he is such.
The word "spy" is used with frequency
and in terms of opprobrium. Now, what
is hydraulic mining spy? One who
secretly and by disguise seeks to procure
knowledge of the doings of another, and
without authority recognized by the law.
Now Messrs. Bassett and higgins did not
enter Plumas county secretly. They went
in openly, stating their purpose and ex-
hibiting their credentials and instructions,
given by officials upon whom is incumbent
the duty of ascertaining the facts in the
matter OF charges made. Moreover, as a
private eitizen-if it is admitted, for argu-
ment's sake, that Captain Payson could not
depute Mr.. Bassett-the latter has the
right to travel freely and uninterruptedly
through any county of the State. If Mr..
higgins was not Deputy United States
Marshal, if he personated an officer, he
is amenable to the law, and the punish
ment for such crime is severe.
Mr.. higgins we do not know; but as for
Mr.. Bassett, we do know that he is a
young man of unquestioned truthfulness
in the community where he resides; that
he Is man of honor and an engineer of
intelligence, capacity and promise, and
that he is the regularly deputed repre-
sentative Of the Engineering Corps of the
Army of the United States. For all pur.
poses of examining into the condition of the
rivers and their tributaries, and of ascer-
tanning if any persons were engaged in
filling them with hydrauling mining de-
bris, he was Captain Payson and the War
Department and the Government NJ tba
United States. The threat and menace
to him was against the Government itself.
When portion Of the people of Plumas
prevented his inquiry, and prevented him
from examining whether or not hydraulic
miners were violating the law, they COM
mitted a grave offense and became law
breakers. That is the long and short Of
the whole matter.